ellerton
New member
Posts: 20
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« on: September 06, 2009, 02:41:29 PM » |
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I have been an adjunct for over 12 years on and off, in community colleges and a university and they are all the same regarding the importance of money (raising revenue) above everything. Everyone states officially that academic excellence is the goal--learning outcomes and the student. They really mean that students must be made happy and the profit for the college increases. The fact that they do not care about learning in the classroom is evident by their policies and major decisions. For example, often learning is not even a factor in faculty evaluations, especially by students. Administrators do not care how much or little learning goes on! They care that students are happy and continue in classes. Deans, vice presidents, etc care mainly about money. They are money managers, not real educators. I have witnessed this at many decent colleges, 2 and 4 year. Furthermore, they are not especially interested in your Ph.D. or your expertise, unless it is very relevant to increasing student's love of the college. If they were, then they would pay much more for Ph.D. faculty. Some do, but community colleges could care less if you have a Ph.D. It is like trying to cook French cuisine for Burger King. Many students probably do not care either, as long as they learn something and get a high grade. Some professors give out all A's automatically, so they stay popular no matter what. Others use frivolous textbooks appropriate for dimwits. Others are proud of using the Simpsons are their teaching tool.
I am so tired of their hypocrisy, I feel like quitting but I never do. I just teach less and less and make my living in other academic areas.
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kedves
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« Reply #1 on: September 06, 2009, 03:10:23 PM » |
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If you have other sources of income, you should pursue those.
Or you could take Homer's advice: "You don’t like your job, you don’t strike. You go in every day and do it really half-assed. That’s the American way."
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educator1
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« Reply #2 on: September 06, 2009, 04:16:38 PM » |
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I am real sorry that has been your experience. From many of the posts on these fora, I have learned that your observations are not uncommon.
I would hate to have you generalize from your experience, however. I have taught for many years as an adjunct first at a state uni and then at a private R1 where this is not the case. I been rewarded, both financially and status-wise, for my Phd. and my experience in teaching and doing that which I teach. I have also noticed that most, if not all, of the administrators on the academic side of the house at both institutions care very much about student learning and academic rigor. I am one of the most demanding instructors in my department and have slightly above average evaluations that are certainly not stellar. That has not been a problem. I find that I enjoy teaching more and more every year.
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madhatter
We proudly present the fora's Least
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Posts: 5,351
Just killing time
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« Reply #3 on: September 07, 2009, 10:35:12 PM » |
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I have been an adjunct for over 12 years on and off, in community colleges and a university and they are all the same regarding the importance of money (raising revenue) above everything. Everyone states officially that academic excellence is the goal--learning outcomes and the student. They really mean that students must be made happy and the profit for the college increases. The fact that they do not care about learning in the classroom is evident by their policies and major decisions. For example, often learning is not even a factor in faculty evaluations, especially by students. Administrators do not care how much or little learning goes on! They care that students are happy and continue in classes. Deans, vice presidents, etc care mainly about money. They are money managers, not real educators. I have witnessed this at many decent colleges, 2 and 4 year. Furthermore, they are not especially interested in your Ph.D. or your expertise, unless it is very relevant to increasing student's love of the college. If they were, then they would pay much more for Ph.D. faculty. Some do, but community colleges could care less if you have a Ph.D. It is like trying to cook French cuisine for Burger King. Many students probably do not care either, as long as they learn something and get a high grade. Some professors give out all A's automatically, so they stay popular no matter what. Others use frivolous textbooks appropriate for dimwits. Others are proud of using the Simpsons are their teaching tool.
I am so tired of their hypocrisy, I feel like quitting but I never do. I just teach less and less and make my living in other academic areas.
Also, they kicked your cat. |
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"I may be an evil scientist, but it doesn't take a degree purchased from the Internet with your ex-wife's money to know how special and important you are to me." -- Dr. Doofenschmirtz
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der_gadfly
SSOB-hatin', snarklet-writin'
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 1,844
oy vey
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« Reply #4 on: September 08, 2009, 04:17:22 PM » |
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part of the game is to keep the students in order to continue population levels. Every student that drops out requires 3 new ones. Unfortunate, but true that students can be boiled down to mere financial figures.....
It is disheartening, and once, when asked by an adjunct how to deal with much the same ennui, I merely told them that they should come in each day and make the best of whatever is there: noone gets up in the morning and decides to shoot for mediocrity. This didn't change the circumstances, but it made it more palatable, sort of the same effect as putting ketchup on all food.
Hang in there. (and don't let anyone kick your cat!)
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(and I bow before der_gadfly) Don't forget, that cat hair can come in handy as a good luck charm! |
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categorical
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« Reply #6 on: September 08, 2009, 05:53:41 PM » |
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I've taught the Simpsons before. I like teaching the Jetsons better. The opening music is great.
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oldadjunct
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« Reply #7 on: September 08, 2009, 06:12:46 PM » |
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Come on folks, get up to date: Family Guy and Philosophy: A Cure for the Petarded (The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series).
Added bonus, you have to love this negative review on Amazon:
Very misleading, ultimately it is a book on philosphy [sic] as the title implies and uses Family Guy as a vechile [sic] to that end. But ultimately it is not a humor book, it is a philosphy [sic] book using family guy [sic] to get you to buy it. The author uses the trick of hiding the obvious right in front of your face. Just be warned this book is not a family guy [sic] book but ACTUALLY A BOOK ON PHILOSPHY [sic]. Don't judge this book by its cover.
Damn those titles. On the cover. In big bright letters.
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Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.
Daniel Patrick Moynihan
Fiction is baseball; Rhetoric is football.
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larryc
Hu hatin'
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 17,571
Eschew the hu.
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« Reply #8 on: September 08, 2009, 06:23:11 PM » |
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Come on folks, get up to date: Family Guy and Philosophy: A Cure for the Petarded (The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series).
Added bonus, you have to love this negative review on Amazon:
Very misleading, ultimately it is a book on philosphy [sic] as the title implies and uses Family Guy as a vechile [sic] to that end. But ultimately it is not a humor book, it is a philosphy [sic] book using family guy [sic] to get you to buy it. The author uses the trick of hiding the obvious right in front of your face. Just be warned this book is not a family guy [sic] book but ACTUALLY A BOOK ON PHILOSPHY [sic]. Don't judge this book by its cover.
Damn those titles. On the cover. In big bright letters.
That is the greatest Amazon review ever, even better than the Three Wolves T-Shirt or the Tuscan whole milk or the live ladybugs. |
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lotsoquestions
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« Reply #9 on: September 08, 2009, 08:45:33 PM » |
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Somewhere out there (I'm too lazy to look it up), there's a collection from a British newspaper of literary classics which were reviewed on Amazon.com and given one star. It's hysterical -- because it includes greats like Shakespeare and also kind of recent contemporary fiction, Sylvia PLath, etc. In most instances, the people appear to have no concept that what they are insulting is a literary classic, and most of the reviews aren't just the "it was boring, too long and it sucked" genre, but are people doing things like suggesting that it should have been set to music, set in France (Huck Finn) and so forth. One of the funniest things I've read in awhile.
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verysneaky
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« Reply #10 on: September 09, 2009, 11:43:45 PM » |
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Oh wow. Please, lotsoquestions, if you remember where this was, let us know.
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mystictechgal
Happy in my "full, rich adulthood", and as a
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Posts: 9,404
One step at a time
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« Reply #11 on: September 10, 2009, 03:37:38 PM » |
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If a pouting pluot ploughman planted pluots in a plot, and the plot were ploughed on Pluto, would his pluot ploy play out?
"Is all the same, only different" -- Dr. H. L. |
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mystictechgal
Happy in my "full, rich adulthood", and as a
Member-Moderator
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 9,404
One step at a time
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« Reply #12 on: September 10, 2009, 03:43:23 PM » |
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Sorry for the double post, but I just found a whole blog devoted to one-star classics: http://www.cynical-c.com/?cat=85 I'm going to have to bookmark this one. It is hilarious. |
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If a pouting pluot ploughman planted pluots in a plot, and the plot were ploughed on Pluto, would his pluot ploy play out?
"Is all the same, only different" -- Dr. H. L. |
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oldadjunct
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« Reply #13 on: September 10, 2009, 06:20:57 PM » |
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They sound pretty similar to many of the posts on the "Books You Wanted to Love" thread. |
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Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.
Daniel Patrick Moynihan
Fiction is baseball; Rhetoric is football.
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marigolds
looks far too young to be a
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 6,293
if it ain't ruff it ain't me
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« Reply #14 on: September 10, 2009, 11:59:24 PM » |
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Y'all, some of those are hilarious!
Great Gatsby: "It grieves me deeply that we Americans should take as our classic a book that is no more than a lengthy description of the doings of fops.”
Grapes of Wrath: "While the story did have a great moral to go along with it, it was about dirt! Dirt and migrating. Dirt and migrating and more dirt.”
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe: "I bought these books to have something nice to read to my grandkids. I had to stop, however, because the books are nothing more than advertisements for “Turkish Delight,” a candy popular in the U.K. The whole point of buying books for my grandkids was to give them a break from advertising, and here (throughout) are ads for this “Turkish Delight”! How much money is this Mr. Lewis getting from the Cadbury’s chocolate company anyway? This man must be laughing to the bank.”
Cannot stop laughing at these - thanks for the link!
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"You and your mom are hillbillies. This is a house of learned doctors."
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